Barry M. Buxton ’11H has served as the president of Lees-McRae College since June 1, 2010. Dr. Buxton is the fifteenth president in the 116-year history of the institution.

Prior to Lees-McRae, Buxton served as Vice President for Special Projects at the Savannah College of Art and Design, where he was responsible for major gift solicitation, leadership development, and foundation relations. He also served as executive liaison to the Savannah, Atlanta, and European Boards of Visitors.

A native of Blowing Rock, North Carolina, Dr. Buxton has a long history of involvement with non-profit organizations in Appalachia. During the 1980s, he served as Executive Director of the sixteen-member Appalachian Consortium. In this capacity, he worked with faculty on research projects, scholarly conferences, and publications related to Appalachia. In 1987, he received a distinguished service award from the Blue Ridge Parkway in recognition of the historic studies he conducted of Mabry Mill, Moses H. Cone Estate, Davey Farm, and Brinegar Cabin.

Dr. Buxton has served as president of science and history museums in North Carolina, Texas, and Georgia. In Houston, he worked with former President and First Lady George and Barbara Bush and the Harris County Medical Society to establish the Museum of Health and Medical Science. He was vice president of the North Carolina Grass Roots Science Museums and a co-founder of the Houston Museum District Association.

An award-winning author who has written and edited over a dozen books, his centennial history of Blowing Rock, A Village Tapestry, was recognized as the best local history book in North Carolina in 1989.

In a diverse career spanning 35 years, he has been a teacher, researcher, publisher, editor, and community leader with extensive international experience. He has served as a consultant to such diverse organizations as the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Tennessee State Board of Regents, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Texas A&M University. Dr. Buxton is a past member of the North Carolina Humanities Council and the Nebraska Humanities Council.

Buxton holds two degrees from Appalachian State University, where he received his teacher certification and was an E.F. Lovill Fellow. His Ph.D. is from the University of Nebraska, and his dissertation was titled “Job Satisfaction of College and University Presidents.”

Throughout his career, Dr. Buxton has received high marks for rolling up his sleeves and getting involved in community projects. He was the first non-hospitality professional to be chosen to serve as Chairman of Savannah’s powerful Convention and Visitors Bureau. He was also a member of the Chamber of Commerce executive committee and served on the boards of Bethesda Home for Boys, YMCA, the Lucas Theatre, Historic Savannah Foundation, and the Savannah Economic Development Authority. In North Carolina, he was statewide Chairman of Project Assist (a smoking cessation initiative), and a board member of United Way and the Asheville Chamber of Commerce.